Once and Future King
by RealmOfEmptiness
Summary: Saber from Fate/Prototype ends in the Campioneverse after destroying the Corrupted Grail and becomes the King of the End. An original story. Slightly Crack. Expect OOCness. Written mostly for fun.
1. Prologue

"So, this is goodbye?"

"I'm afraid so." The blond-haired, green-eyed young man in blue and silver armor replied with an apologetic smile. "We both knew our time together was limited. Even so it was fun being your Servant, Ayaka."

Ayaka Sajyou, Master of Saber in the Fifth Holy Grail War, sniffed and looked up at her Servant. "Yes, it was. Thanks for saving me so many times. And for being my prince."

"What kind of knight would I be otherwise?" Servant Saber, Arthur Pendragon of Camelot, the [King of Knights] smirked and ruffled the young girl's black hair. "Live well. And don't let the past stop you from advancing. I speak from experience here."

After saying farewell Saber turned around and started running toward Ryuudou Temple, the place where the Corrupted Grail was about to manifest. "Goodbye Saber!" Ayaka cried while waving her hand. Saber returned the gesture before his eyes narrowed: he knew this wasn't going to be an easy task.

Once he reached the Temple a spectacle of nightmare appeared before him: the Holy Grail, corrupted by the spirit of Angra Mainyu and transformed into a device for genocide, took the form of an immense tower made of poisonous black mud, a 'hole' of pure nothingness at the top: from there [All the Evil in the World] will spill out in the form of a sea of condensed 'curses', ready to annihilate all life on the Planet.

He will not allow it. Gripping harder his beloved sword Excalibur he changed towards the corrupted artefact that he once destroyed, ready to do it again. In response monsters emerged from the mud, twisted mockeries of the human form with the head and claws of a wolf. They changed at Saber to stop his advance, ready to sacrifice their lives for their evil master.

Saber didn't stop. With a single movement he cut twenty of them with his sword. Another step forward and another ten joined the rest. Excalibur became a blur as Saber erected a wall of solid steel between him and his opponents. While he wasn't the strongest swordsman when he was alive, that honor goes to Lancelot, his swordsmanship was at a level that very few can match or even surpass it.

But more and more monsters emerged from the Grail and surrounded him. _'Tsk! This is going nowhere.'_ Saber cursed in his mind. He can deal with all of them but if he spend too much time the Grail would reach completion. And he can't allow it.

"Out of my way! [Strike Air]!" He shouted and released a gale of super high pressure condensed air from his sword, blowing away all enemies in the front and allowing him to escape his predicament. Once again Saber thanked Merlin for his teachings: his skills in actual magic, without counting [Prana Burst] were very low, but the old man kept up his lessons until he learned this single spell, [Invisible Air], saying 'it will be useful someday'. If only the old geezer wasn't an insufferable asshole the rest of the time: Arthur lost count of the number of times he had to toss him in jail because of his pranks. Poor Lancelot almost went insane. And let's not talk about Gawain.

With the bounded field gone the hidden form of Excalibur was revealed, allowing the Holy Sword to shine in all its glory. The Grail shuddered at the sight and doubled its efforts to stop the knight.

"Abomination. So you remember?" Saber raised Excalibur over his head. "This time, I will make sure you will be gone forever!"

One by one the thirteen restrains around the blade snapped, each a seal put by one of the Knights of the Round Table to ensure the immense power of the Holy Sword would not be abused. In this instance Saber could release only seven of the restrains, meaning only half of the Noble Phantasm's true might could be unleashed.

More than sufficient for the task ahead. Saber didn't want a repeat of what happened with Archer. He didn't know what a 'satellite' was but Ayaka told him he destroyed a lot of them. And it inconvenienced many people. So yeah, no repeat.

A maelstrom of light surrounded the sword and illuminated the darkness, winds howling as Saber poured more and more power into the Noble Phantasm to ensure the Grail will cease to exist. Forever.

"EX-"

Angra Mainyu raged.

"CA-"

A sea of black mud erupted to the Grail in order to crush the enemy.

"LI-"

Too late. Saber swung his sword down.

"BUUUURRRRRR!"

An ocean of pure light engulfed the Grail and Angra Mainyu _shrieked_ as its very essence was torn apart by the unstoppable force of the most powerful of all Holy Swords. As its control over the Grail waned the immense quantity of Prana stored inside the artefact went wild and exploded. Causing the walls of Reality, already weakened by Excalibur's blast, to broke apart.

Saber had only time to say: "This...wasn't in the program..." before he was engulfed in a bright explosion.

The damage would be limited only to the Temple, its residents already evacuated before the incident. In the future Ayaka would often pass near it, wondering what her Servant did to erase the Temple and all the _mountain_ behind it into nonexistence.

And calling him an idiot.

[*]

The explosion destroyed Saber's body but his soul, instead of returning to the Throne of Heroes, fell into the Dimensional Gap before Gaia's Reality Marble could repair it fully. It wandered through the Void between Dimensions for a while before landing into a different plane of existence. It was a place that for many ways was similar to his old one, but had a glaring difference.

You see, in that place the Age of Gods never ended. It was common for Divine Beings to descend on Earth and roamed freely across the land. But because of a curse unleashed many aeons ago when they did it their minds were distorted and became prone to destructive acts toward the human populace. Gods that fell to this curse were known as [Heretic Gods].

And unfortunately Arthur's soul, as an Heroic Spirit that transcended humanity, once it started adapting to the new world it was recognized as being an embodiment of myths and legends, as being 'divine'. So the curse that corrupted Gods tried to do the same to Saber's soul.

Only to be repelled by a shinning light that transcend humanity's scope. Avalon, the scabbard of Excalibur, the holy relic that allowed Ayaka Sajyou to summon Saber in the first place. The Master of Saber gave it back to the Servant before the final confrontation with the Grail: it was destroyed along with Saber's Servant body but it was originally a Noble Phantasm belonging to Saber in the first place, so its essence was integrated into the Heroic Spirit's soul. And, like it always did, in the moment of need it protected its master from any and all harms.

The curse tried again and again to break through, but for something that was capable of purifying the corruption from [All the Evil in the World] resisting was a trifling matter.

"What's this? What's this?" Deep into the Underworld a cheerful and bubbly voice exclaimed. "Something is resisting the curse from that [Box]? It never happened before! And who is this God? I don't recognize him. Ufufu, this looks exciting!"

Back on Earth, in the middle of a forest in the recess of what will one day be called Wales, light surrounded a small clearing around a lake before coalescing into the form of a blond young man sleeping prone on the ground with his back against a tree, while facing the lake's surface.

It's the year 408 of the Gregorian calendar, year 1161 for the weakening Roman Empire. It will be remembered as the year when an unknown Hero rise up to combat all tyrannies and defend the weak. He will be called by many names and titles, but of the latter one in particular will stand out the most.

The [King that Comes at the End of Eras].

The [King of the End].

[*]

**So one day I was reading t****he Campione's section until I thought: "Why all the stories have a Campione as the protagonist and never a Heretic God?"**

**So I wrote this. As you can see this is mostly Crack so don't expect the story to be very serious. I will however try to write something interesting, even with glaring plotholes and sometimes OOCness.**

**But at least nobody can say this isn't original. Because it is. So...**

_**Would you kindly review?**_


	2. Chapter 1

Awareness slowly came back to Arthur as he groggily half-opened his eyes. Through the haze he saw the lake and the forest surrounding him. While he didn't recognize that particular place there weren't doubts about his location: that was one of Wales' forests. Many would think most forests all look the same but for someone like him who was born, lived and trained there for all his life it was unmistakable.

_'I see.'_ He thought and closed his eyes again, savouring the nostalgic scent of holly. _'I must have fallen asleep while waiting for the camp to be finished.'_

"Bedivere." He called his friend and retainer who always stand near him. "Do I have time to sleep a little more?" Only silence answered him. _'Strange. Normally he would reply instantly. Where did he go?'_ "Where are you Bedivere? I can't make Ayaka think my knights are la-!"

His eyes shot open and he stood up in a hurry. With his mind clear memories came back to him like a flood. "That's right: Bedivere and the others are dead." His lips set into a grim line. "And so I am. I became a Heroic Spirit and participated in the Holy Grail War. But I rejected the prize when I realized it was false. Then I served as Ayaka's Servant..."

He looked left and right. "Yes, now I remember: I confronted the Grail and destroyed it. Then an explosion and..." He put a armoured hand over his forehead. "What happened next? By all accounts I should be back to the Throne of Heroes and not in my homeland." He glanced down on himself. "I don't feel neither Ayaka or the Grail nearby so why I am not disappearing?"

Deciding a bit of examination was in order he closed his eyes and looked inside himself.

The results were astounding to say the least. As far as he could tell he was still in a Servant-like body, but it was so..._free_, like he wore heavy chains for all his life only for someone to suddenly remove them. He felt so much powerful, his strength as a Servant was but a small speckle compared to his current status. What's more, he could not feel Gaia trying to erase his existence.

"Strange, too strange." He muttered. "So much power without apparent drawbacks isn't something that can be causally obtained. What happened to me?"

His status was of course abnormal and must be investigated, but seeing as there weren't negative effects and lacking the means to investigate further he decided it wasn't so urgent to required great urgency. Too much haste is enemy on the battlefield.

Out of caution he also checked his Noble Phantasms. 'Invisible Air and Excalibur are okay. I also have Avalon, good. It is al- what?'

He opened his eyes, genuine surprise and a hint of delight in them. "I thought I had lost it as a Saber. Well this is a pleasant discovery." He raised his right hand in the air and concentrated his prana. "Come my friend. Let's us ride together once more! Come, [Llamrei]!"

A flash of light and a magnificent steed was summoned, a brown mare clad in magnificent blue and silver plate, its sharp eyes indicating great intelligence and bravery. The horse neighed and kicked the ground.

"I'm glad to see you too." Arthur stroked the mare's strong but soft fur with care. "I am in a bit of a predicament and I need your help."

Llamrei nodded. Grinning Arthur jumped on the saddle, put up his hood and flicked the reins. "Yyaaahh!" He yelled. The horse neighed and jump in the air, a mighty movement that allowed ride and rider to cross more than twenty meters in one move. Once it landed Llamrei started galloping with a speed no normal horse should be capable of, skilfully circumventing trees and other obstacles.

It wasn't a mindless gallop. Arthur saw. At the apex of the initial jump he saw a road in the distance. Where there was a road there were people who made it. And if there were people there was a settlement to house them. Logical.

[*]

One hour later, while entering the meager village Arthur wondered if besides travelling in space he didn't also travel in time.

The town was composed of simple wooded houses disposed along the main road with people walking around wearing woolen clothing. The entire scenario belonged to his own times not to the modern world where he was summoned for the Grail War.

_'Most strange. But not unwelcomed: this is much more comfortable.'_ He thought. People got out of his way while he advanced, eyeing him with respect and also a little bit of fear. It was only natural for his whole presence screamed nobility and majesty to everyone blessed with the gift of sight.

Arthur saw what looked like a tavern. He stopped in front of it and dismounted. "Wait for me here." He patted Llamrei's flank. "And if someone try to steal you kick him." The mare let out a neigh of approval.

When Arthur entered inside the tavern, face still obscured by the hood, he walked straight to the counter ignoring how the heads of those inside followed his movements.

Behind the counter was a mountain of a man with thick muscles and broad shoulders, a head with a stern face and very short blond hair sitting atop a taurine neck. Dressed in woodcutter clothing he was washing clay cups with his enormous hands. Seeing Arthur he didn't even flinch but just greeted the knight with a no-nonsense tone. "Greetings. What I can do for you?"

_'Uhm, if I order something he may be more inclined to answer my questions.'_ "A steak and a cup of wine please." He sat down on a stool. "And also information. Due to..._special_ circumstances I am currently lost and in need of directions."

The man nodded. "A steak for the counter!" He barked behind him and then poured Arthur a cup of wine. "Ask."

"Where I am?"

"The village of Penteri, south of Caer Aricon."

_'So I'm near the mainland.'_ "I see. Now I know this sound strange,-" A woman put a hot steak before him and he started cutting it into pieces. "-but what-"

_BAM!_

"AAAAHH!"

Before he can continue the sound of something colliding with something else could be heard from outside, followed by a scream of pain and the sound of something flying before falling quite roughly on the ground.

"Someone tried to steal my horse." Arthur commented without turning back.

"They do that." The taverner agreed.

"Where I was? Oh yes: what year is it?"

If the big man found the question weird he didn't show it. "Year 1161 since the founding of Rome. Or so they say."

Arthur froze in the act of putting a piece of meat in his mouth. Slowly he completed it, chew on the meat and drank from the cup. "I...see. Thanks."

His reign was born from the ashes of the Roman Empire, that nonetheless influenced a lot the culture of Britain. The line of Pendragon itself descended from a Roman General, or so the stories said. Among the records of the past he studied there were also data about the calendar in use in the Empire. It was thank to it that he understood.

He was in the past. Not simply the old ages but a time before his own birth, when the Roman Empire still existed and ruled Britannia.

_'This is troubling.'_ He thought while eating the steak. _'If I am right this is roughly a hundred years before Camelot. Did the Grail really send me back in time? Or I was summoned by someone else?'_

His musings were interrupted by a woman's scream of despair and denial from outside, followed by hysterical sobbing.

"That wasn't my horse." Or so he hoped.

"No." The mountain of a man shook his head. "A mother received the news his soldier son had died. It's quite common nowadays."

Arthur's eyes narrowed. "Why? A war? Or barbarian invasions?" The latter were the enemies he fought all his life.

"Both. Rebellions happened one after another while barbarians are constantly threatening our borders with frequent invasions. The country had been in a state of constant warfare for a decade at this point. And it's all the fault of only one man."

"Who?" Arthur asked with steel in his tone.

"The current Governator." The man replied gravely. "The general Gracianus Municeps. When he suppressed a rebellion or an invasion he always let the leaders go so they can reorganize and try again. So he can crush them again. All for his personal satisfaction. They said he wields powerful dark magic and uses monstrous wolves and the reanimated corpses of those he personally slain as troops."

Arthur was enraged beyond belief. How dare this Gracianus scum treat his people, well their ancestors anyway, in such a cruel manner? A king should care for his country! Even Iskander, with all his boasts of tyranny, would never do something like that.

A decision was made. Finding what happened to him could wait. Punishing the scum could not.

"I thank you for the help good man." He stood up. "You gave me much to think."

The man simply nodded. "Wine and steak are three copper coins."

"Of course. Let me-!" Arthur froze. He just remembered a little but very important detail.

He didn't have money whatsoever with him. Heroic Spirits didn't need it after all.

"Well?"

"Uhm, you see.." He answered, sweating. "The fact is...I realized I don't have money. None at all."

The mountain of a man didn't reply. He just bent down, picked something and raised it. It was an axe. A very big axe two meters long, with a very big and very rusted blade.

Ah no, that wasn't rust, that was dried blood.

Arthur loudly gulped. "Can I...pay in another manner?"

[*]

Llamrei was letting out a series of short neighs. One didn't need long to realize the mare was laughing.

"S-Shut up!" Arthur shouted with mortification at his horse. "This is only fair after all! I consumed food and so I need to pay! I can't let just leave without paying like a common bandit."

"Less talking with your horse and more work." A middle-aged woman with long black hair sternly admonished.

"Yes ma'am." The future King of Britain sighed and resumed his chore of washing dishes.

[*]

Many hours later we found our hero riding again Llamrei in the middle of the forest after leaving the village. Sulking.

"The great King of Knights, reduced to washing dishes like a common servant." The cloud of depression hovering over his head was almost visible. "I am sure Archer would find it hilarious."

"Ufufu. And so do I." A glamorous voice as exquisite as gemstones said out of nowhere. Startled Arthur looked around for the culprit. It was then that he saw her.

She was a young woman with brilliant blonde hair styled into curls, red eyes and pale skin. Her dream-like beauty was like a doll made by a master craftsman. She was wearing a white toga of Greek design with golden sandals around her feet. She was sitting on the branch of a tree while swinging her delicate legs back and forth like a little kid, a mix of amusement and perplexion on her face as she stared at the knigh.

Arthur could feel it. Whoever this woman was, she was very powerful.

"After all it isn't everyday that one can see a God lowering himself to perform common labour. Tell me, is your righteousness really so great?"

[*]

**The first real chapter. I somehow have an idea where this is going. Mostly. Let's answer some reviews:**

**chaosglory626: only in the beginning, and only because the Corrupted Grail is a convenient plot device.**

**edboy4926: we will reach it in the future. I think.**

**PCheshire: technically Arthur is neither, because its origin is foreign to the Campione world, but once there he adapted to a Heretic God's nature. He can still be considered a HG (the simple fact of existing on Earth is reason enough to consider a God [Heretical]), but unlike them if he dies he does it for real and doesn't come back.**

**Kinunatzs: is still early for pairings. And Athen has yet to descend (Canon's version at least). But I promise something for it.**

**Faraway-R: a possible interpretation, yes. I think they **_**are**_** the disasters made manifest, while Campione are the "hope" (that then become distorted too one way or another). If you carefully think about it Campioneverse is a bleak world, isn't it?**

**And now the Character Sheet for Arthur, FSN's style:**

******True Name: Arthur Pendragon  
************Appearance: see Fate/Prototype's Saber, the most recent design  
****************Title: King of Knights  
****Class: Heretic God (Incorrect: a Heroic Spirit adapted to the Heretic Gods' System)  
****Divine Attributes: Steel/Dragons (a very unusual combination)  
****Gender: Male  
****Hair Color: Blond  
****Eye Color: Green  
****Age (Apparent): 21  
****Alignment: Lawful Good**

**Parameters (Gods' Scale):  
****Strength: B (A) (When using Prana Burst)  
****Endurance: B (A) (When using Prana Burst)  
****Agility: A (A+) (When using Prana Burst)  
****Mana: A  
****Luck: C  
****Noble Phantasm/Authority: C ~ EX**

**Skills:  
****Magic Resistance (A+): protection against magical effects. As a Heretic God Arthur is granted complete immunity to all magical systems created by man with few exceptions.**

**Riding (B): expertise to ride animals and vehicles. During his past life Arthur, as required from a Knight, was very adept at handling horses and other common mounts. Cannot ride creatures the likes of Phantasmal Beast and Divine Beast with the exception of Llamrei, who permits Arthur to ride her due to their long-time friendship.**

**Charisma (B): the natural talent to command an army. Increases the moral and abilities of allies during group battles and make people more prone to follow one's suggestions. B Rank is suitable for the king of a country.**

**Instinct (A): the power to "feel" the most favourable developments for oneself during battle. Refined sixth sense is now close to true precognition. Bonus effect of reducing by half the penalties caused by obstructed vision and hearing.**

**Prana Burst (A): the increase in performance caused by infusing one's weapons and body with magical energy and instantly expelling it. A normal weapon that is not on the level of a divine mystery can be destroyed in one blow. Raises speed and defense in several times.**

**Noble Phantasm/Authorities:  
****[Invisible Air: Bounded Field of The Wing King]  
****Rank: C  
****Type: Anti-Unit**

**A sheath of wind that covers Excalibur and conceals it so that it cannot be easily recognized. It is a bounded field closer to magecraft than an Noble Phantasm that is made up of multiple layers of wind compressed into super-high pressure air with a massive amount of prana, which distorts the refraction of light and renders what is inside completely invisible. The only spell Arthur learned correctly under the tutelage of Merlin, under the old man's assumption that "it will be useful someday".  
****The compressed wind can also instead be released as a projectile weapon called [Strike Air: Hammer of The Wind King]: acting like a hammer made out of wind it creates a gale of condensed air powerful enough to easily crush and blow away armies and fling a stone slab weighing several tons into the air as if it were nothing.**

**[Llamrei: The Loyal Steed of The King]  
****Rank: B  
****Type: Support**

**Previously blocked by the limitations of the Saber Class, it is accessible again after the transformation of Arthur into a Heretic God. A brown mare owned by King Arthur in his past life and the best steed he ever possessed, Llamrei also reached the status of Heroic Spirit due to the connection with its rider, similar to Lu Bu and Red Haze and the personal horse of a certain King Of Conquerors. Llamrei is closer to a Divine Beast and so possesses incredible strength, speed and endurance: while it cannot bring great firepower on the battlefield it serves as an exceptional partner for Arthur, greatly increasing his mobility specially over long distance. Thanks to the different nature of Divine Beasts in the new world Llamrei acquired the ability to gallop on water and air like it is solid ground.**

**[Excalibur: The Sword of Promised Victory]  
****Rank: A++ ~ EX  
****Type: Anti-Fortress  
****Appearance: see Fate/Prototype's Excalibur **

**The strongest and most majestic holy sword that symbolizes King Arthur and can be called the physical actualization of his ideals, a divine construction forged by the planet as the crystallization of the wishes of mankind and the prayer named "glory" stored and tempered within the planet.  
****Excalibur is a weapon if directive energy that convert the prana of the wielder into light by accelerating it, intensifying the kinetic energy by convergence and acceleration. It is an "ultimate killing technique" that releases light from the tip of the blade once the sword is swung: while the result is what looks like a large beam of light, only the tip of the attack, which is a wave of light that can mow through the surface of the Earth, is capable of doing damage, as the beam is the result of the "dislocation" of everything the attack destroys in its path.  
****Due to its immense destructive power thirteen restrains were put on Excalibur by the Knights of the Round to ensure the sword couldn't be abused. The conditions must be met in order for the constrains to be released. The A++ Rank's attack could be used only when six or more restrains are released, while to utilize its full EX Rank's potential all of them must be released. The conditions to release the restrains are:**

**-The user must be King Arthur  
****-The user need to utilize Excalibur by his own volition  
****-The user must not be forced to use Excalibur against his own will  
****-The enemy requires Excalibur's full power to be vanquished  
****-The attack must not harm innocents  
****-The attack must be used in order to protect someone  
****-The enemy must not be powerless  
****-The attack must not be used in a surprise attack  
****-Using the attack must not break a promise made by the user  
****-The user must have offered mercy to the enemy before  
****-The enemy must have rejected the user's mercy multiple times  
****-The user must not use Excalibur for his own interests  
****-The user must not have indecisions about using Excalibur**

**[Avalon: The Ever-Distant Utopia]  
****Rank: EX  
****Type: Support/Barrier**

**The hallowed scabbard of Excalibur, the embodiment of the utopia King Arthur seeks, a divine mystery created by fairies. As a passive effect the holder is granted potent healing, allowing for critical and fatal wounds to be rapidly repaired to restore the wielder's health. Minor injuries are restored easily and even large missing portions of the body and destroyed vital organs like the heart can be quickly restored at the critical moment before death.  
****Its active function as a Noble Phantasm is an "absolute defense" that completely shields its user in the domain of fairies. It is the greatest protection in the world that goes beyond defending or reflecting, completely isolating its user in a world completely separated from the regular world. The individual is shielded from all destructive interference in the physical realm, transliners from parallel words and multidimensional communication as far as the sixth dimension.**

**[*]**

**Now then...**

**Would you _graciously_ review?**


	3. Chapter 2

Arthur slightly patted Llamrei to stop the mare's advance and silently analyzed the woman in front of him. The simple fact that she sneaked near him without triggering his senses said a lot about her abilities. Of course Arthur was ready to admit his previous bad mood could have make him drop his guard. Just a bit.

Who she was? Another Servant? She feels similar to one, a conceptual existence greater than mankind, but at the same time there were differences. Maybe, considering he was back in time, she was a member of the Fae Folk. Beside the Lady of the Lake he hadn't a lot of contacts with them, but he remembered they were very powerful beings: only fitting considering they were Elementals of the higher order.

_'Earth.'_ The seeming random thought suddenly emerged from the back of his mind. From where that come from? Yet his instinct told him it was an important hint necessary to understand the truth of the matter. More importantly, did she just called him a 'God'? That was impossible: true he was a Heroic Spirit, one of the most powerful Ghost-Liners, but Divine Spirits were in whole different class, with unlimited power and absolute authority over the material world.

Yet as he thought that a part of him strangely disagree with him. Another part reminded him of his recent massive boost in power.

Deciding that further musing would bring him nowhere Arthur removed his hood and bowed, a closed fist put over his heart. "Greetings my lady." He said with a polite tone. Angering a Fairy never ended well. "In response to your query: yes, my righteousness is that great. No, it's more fitting to call it a fundamental part of myself and the ideals I hold dear. Even if, as a King, it was humiliating the alternative, not repaying with the just reward services rendered, would have been worse."

"Eeeh, really?" She looked very surprised. She started tapping a delicate finger on her beautiful lips. "This one doesn't understand. I can understand repaying the favor to another God, but why doing the same with humans? Isn't everything they have ours by right?"

Arthur slightly frowned. While he greatly disagreed with the last part, he was aware supernatural beings think differently compared to normal humans. It was just how they were. Trying to change it would be useless. But he could at least correct her misconceptions. "Be that as it may be, I am afraid you are mistaken my lady: I am not a God, merely a Heroic Spirit."

"Uh? Uh?" She blinked owlishly. "Heroic Spirit? What's that? Did you lost your memories?" She jumped off the branch and gently levitated down until her face was but mere centimeters away from his own. Arthur steeled himself at the scrutiny, while his horse scoffed and kept a wary gaze on her. "But I can feel great power from you, so that's not the case. This one is confused. You are a very strange member of [Steel]. What is thine name?"

[Steel]. From some reason that word resonated strongly within Arthur, like its sole sound was sufficient to describe a part of his own identity. It was unfamiliar and yet it didn't feel wrong. Something strange was definitely up with him. "The name bestowed upon me is Arthur. In the language of this land it's pronounced Artus. And yours, my lady?" He didn't added his family name of Pendragon. It was his father Uther who created it so it didn't exist yet. Using it was meaningless.

"Ah. Ah. I don't recognize either. So strange. But also interesting." She smiled mischievously and performed a spin midair with arms outstretched. Arthur more and more got the feeling she was more like a child than an adult woman. "This one is called the 'White Goddess' or [Heretical Goddess] by the people of this land. But in ancient time this Goddess was called Cybele of the Mountain. You can use this name if you like, but I don't dislike the other one either. Ufufu." She glamorously laughed.

_'Cybele?'_ Arthur thought with not small amount of disbelief. From what he could recall of his knowledge as a Heroic Spirit Cybele was a Goddess worshipped in Asia Minor. If her claim was true, and he was really in the presence of a Goddess...furthermore, she used a strange term. "Heretical Goddess? What do you mean with it lady Cybele?"

Cybele stopped laughing and looked Arthur in the eyes with a serious expression. The change was so abrupt it was like staring at two different people. "You really don't know." It was not a question but a statement.

"Yes." Arthur admitted. "If it isn't too much trouble, can you explain it to me?" He requested with utmost politeness.

"Why not?" She clapped her hands and smiled. "It's been awhile since I last had a guest. Follow me."

Leaving the road Cybele led him deeper and deeper inside the forest, trees and plants shifting and moving apart to open a passage from them before closing again. Finally they arrived at a small cleaning fully separated from the outside world by thick thorn bushes the size of grown men.

With a gesture from Cybele plants grew and formed a makeshift table with chairs and even cups. She then conjured a teapot from nowhere. "Raspberry's juice?"

"It will be a pleasure." Arthur dismounted his horse and sat on the table.

"Usually Gods don't live on Earth." Cybele, back in her serious mode, began after they finished drinking. "All of us live in the Domain of Immortality, the ethereal realm that exists beyond the Netherworld. Humans worship us and give us power through the myths and stories they tell about us. With me so far?"

Arthur nodded. The terms were different but the system was more or less what he remembered.

"Mortals claim that for some gods the forms and nature of their myths become a burden, and they rebel against them. That they escape their myths and manifest on Earth, gaining a material body that allow them to exist until it's destroyed and they are send back to the Domain of Immortality. And such a God that escaped their myths and manifested on Earth mortals call a [Heretic God]." She scoffed. "There is much prejudice against it, most of it unfounded."

Aaand, this was absolutely _not_ what he remembered. He would have know if such a thing happened in his time. The thought that this phenomenon ended before his birth was just wishful thinking: there would have been reports about it.

Something was wrong. Arthur even wondered if he was really in his own world and not some twisted alternate dimension. "What kind of prejudice?"

"Oh, that us Heretic ones became corrupted and dangerous, that we spend our time endangering humans." She shrugged. "I will not deny many do it, but they are mostly Steel Gods in search of a challenge. Look at me." She gestured with pride to the cleaning. "I am content to stay here, keeping the forest healthy and the animals prosperous. Sometimes I even gift farmers who worship me with abundant harvests. Would you call me dangerous?"

"Of course not." Arthur professed his agreement, not knowing that Cybele left out what she does with those that displease her.

Mainly, early winters and hungry giant lions. Hell hath no fury like a woman scorned.

"You mentioned Steel Gods, and called me the same."

"Four main categories are used to describe a God's nature: Sky, Sea, Earth and Steel. Sky Gods have authority over the sky and atmospheric phenomenon; Sea Gods rule the oceans; Earth Gods like me are masters of the earth and the Underworld. Finally we have Steel: god of the military, god of might, god of war, god of battle. Gods born to fight belonged to the category known as Steel."

Arthur had to concede that such description fit him very well. "And you are sure I am one of them? That I am a God?"

"Without a single doubt." Cybele crossed her arms and nodded with confidence. "I wouldn't sense such power from you otherwise. Gods and Goddess that lose their memories lose also the vast majority of their powers. This is because the source of a god's strength is its ego and the knowledge it accumulated during its life. After all, even if our bodies are made of the myths themselves how can we use the powers granted from them if we don't even know they exist in the first place?"

"It makes sense." Arthur conceded. But Cybele's confirmation left in quite the predicament.

He was now certain this wasn't his original world. On one hand he was glad of it: he didn't risk to alter the future just by existing. In the past he searched for such an occasion from the Grail, but thanks to the events of the past two Wars he was now free of that selfish desire.

On the other hand..._'Me? A Heretic God?'_ It was difficult to digest. He knew he was an Heroic Spirit and not a God. But that was how it was in his world. It was more than probable that the laws of this world were different.

So was he an anomaly? Was his soul changed upon arrival? Possible. Did it change what he was going to do? Not at all.

"I thank you for your hospitability and assistance lady Cybele." He stand up. "You gave me much to think. I would like to chat more but there is a duty that I need to perform."

"A duty?"

"Yes." He nodded grimly. "I heard the Governator of this land is sowing grief and misery with his tyrannical methods. I intend to make him face justice."

"Oh my." She giggled, an exquisite sound like a clear spring's morning. "As befitting [Steel]: you are already looking forward to challenge the local God-Slayer."

Arthur, who was ready to depart, froze. "God...Slayer?"

"My! Even that? Sit down, sit down." She beckoned him. "I already said Heretic Gods cannot return to the Domain of Immortality unless they die, yes? No? Well it is so. But not every God is killed in combat by another God: sometimes, against all odds, a human manage to slay a God on his own. When that happen the human will usurp part of the slain god's Authorities and be reborn as a god-slaying Devil King. They are beings that exceed humanity and the mortal foes of us Gods."

Yet another proof that this wasn't his own world. "I see. So the general Gracianus Municeps is a Devil King?" The title tasted bitter on his tongue. "From what I heard he is more a violent barbarian than a proper king."

Cybele shrugged. "They're Devils after all. From what I heard all the other living God-slayers are the same: a king of invading equestrian tribes, a mindless berserk...What do you expect from sinners guilty of deicide?"

Arthur didn't answer: instead he stand up again and walked toward Llamrei. "I thank you for your help lady Cybele. I hope we meet again in better circumstances."

"It was my pleasure entertaining such a handsome gentlemen." She giggled. "May the God bless you with victory."

"Worry not my lady." He reached out to Excalibur: just enough to feel the sword but not enough to draw it.

"My kingdom may be destroyed." His face hardened. "My friends and family may be dead." He looked up at the sky.

"But my ideals will never disappear. As long as I never forget Justice and Honor..."

"_I, will never lose._"

[*]

**More than sixty reviews with only two chapters? If this isn't a sign from fate that I need to continue the story I don't know what it is.**

**To those wondering if I made the Governator an expy of Voban the following part was taken directly from the translated novel, a part describing the Campiones living when the original King of the End first appeared:**

**"Last of all, a certain [King] had turned the island of Britain into his own hunting grounds.**

**Whenever outsiders invaded the island, he would immediately intercept and defeat them. But he never slaughtered his enemies completely, thus allowing them to encroach again. Whenever internal rebellions occurred, he suppressed them immediately. But always, he permitted the mastermind to escape, thus sowing the seeds for new rebellions. **

**Well, that was basically how things repeated time and again. **

**The god-slaying [King] loved hunting more than anything, and his favorite prey were living humans. For the sake of this hobby, all he cared about was indulging in his pleasure of the hunt on the lands of Britain."**

**Don't you think this is a perfect description of Voban? So it was the author who first made an expy of one of his own characters. But rest assured: the two powers (wolves and undead) may seem similar but they are not the same. You will see an original fight.**

**sanddrake111: more of less. He is Arthur Pendragon, and his actions one day will give rise to the legend of "King Arthur and the Knights of the Round Table". Similar to canon but there will be differences.**

**roughstar333: she is the Goddess who will one day become Guinevere. The horse is a Noble Phantasm of his: it was blocked while he was in the Servant Saber's container but got unlocked after he became a Heretic God.**

**Xarserum: ^^. A little omake:  
****Shocked Godou: But, but you aren't a jerk!  
****Annoyed Arthur: Why is everyone always presuming that?**

**PCheshire: he can still die if his head is cut, his brain destroyed or his entire body disintegrated in one move, but you are pretty much right. He isn't invincible, but he needs to fit the role of "Strongest Steel" so of course he is very strong. So while defeating him is difficult it isn't impossible to do so.**

**Baughn: good question. The answer is that the power of the Second Magic can theoretically reach it, but it's very difficult to do so because, unlike other dimensions, there are protections around the Land of the Faeries to keep uninvited guests out. It would be a great feat in and on itself: even Zelretch would be hard pressed to do it.**

**Faraway-R: it's "as of current moment". If Arthur acquire a new legend of his own he will be linked to it and become like the other normal Gods, able to return even if killed.**

**Guest: to your first question: not outside of possible omakes. To the second: inspiration isn't back it.**

**Another protagonist has appeared! Shall we take a closer look?**

The White Goddess (Future name: Gwenhwyfar/Guinevere)

**General Description**

Her true name is Cybele, the Mountain Goddess. At first she was an unnamed Goddess of the Earth and the Underworld worshipped in Anatolia until she was adopted as Phrygia's state deity and named Cybele; she was associated with mountains, hawks and lions.

Later her Phrygian cult was adopted and adapted by Greek colonists of Asia Minor and spread from there to mainland Greece and its more distant western colonies from around the 6th century b.C. In Greece she was partially assimilated to the Titan Gaia, her Minoan equivalent Rhea and the Goddess Demeter. In Rome Cybele was known as Magna Mater ("Great Mother"), a title to designate many different goddesses.

Despite her age Cybele exhibit a lot of childish antics and like to frolic around in search of things that interest her. But when needed she displays a keen mind and a supreme confidence in herself; coupled with unwavering determination even in the face of death those characteristic make her a formidable opponent.

While acknowledging "Cybele" to be her principal name she doesn't use it too much, preferring instead to use the titles bestowed upon her by humans: the more grandiose and flattening the better.

**Physical Description**

She appears as a young woman with brilliant blonde hair styled into curls, red eyes and pale skin. She wears a white toga of Greek design with golden sandals around her feet.

When transformed she takes the form of a white western dragon.

**History**

-Unnamed Anatolia Earth Mother Goddess

-Cybele

-Partially assimilated with Gaia/Rhea/Demeter

-Magna Mother

_**Authorities**_

[Flowing Life of the Earth]

_Oh Earth, hears the plea of She who is your Mother. Share your strength so that mine enemies can be vanquished!_

This Authority allows Cybele to forcibly absorb magical energy from the Earth and the life-force of other Earth Mother Goddesses to boast her powers.

[Mistress of the Animals]

_Children of the Earth hear my call! Protect this Goddess, be her sword and shield._

Summons animals to do her bidding, especially lions and hawks. By spending more energy Cybele can also create Divine Beasts that can damage even Gods.

[Cycle of the Four Seasons]

_In Spring life blooms. In Summer it releases its blessings. In Autumn it rots. And finally in Winter it dies so it can be reborn again._

This Authority allows Cybele to manipulate seasons and the concepts they represent. Only one season can be controlled at a time: changing it require a day of preparation.

-Spring: growth, renewal and new life (both plant and animal) being born.  
-Summer: heat, sun, growing season and abundance, hard work for those working the land and rest for the others.  
-Autumn: harvest, hunt, preparation and festivals, melancholy and introversion, rot and decay, tiredness and withdrawal.  
-Winter: snow and ice, cold, death and solitude. It is also time of endurance and survival with any means possible, waiting, reflection and preparation for the upcoming growth season.

**Other Abilities**

Magic

Cybele is a great expert of Magic, raging from Witchcraft to ancient rituals that can summon even Gods. Her favourite field is Wind Magic.

Dragon Form

Cybele can transform into a powerful White Dragon: in this form she can use her wings to generate powerful Wind Magic without the need of incantations.


	4. Omake: Luo Hao

Luo Hao

Golden sword fought against golden fist. The two clashed with titanic force, air roaring in distress as sparkles erupted from all the magic each brought to the fore and consumed in order to crush the other one.

At the end the fist was the first to yield. The golden sword sliced all the way to the body, bifurcating the opponent into two halves.

"Magnificent!" The beautiful girl with black hair and wearing ancient Chinese attire of the Han period exclaimed with joy. "The title of 'Strongest God of Steel' bears some truth after all. Rejoice, for I am going to grant you the honor of being slain by me!"

Arthur frowned. Ignoring the disappearing Buddha statue, the second of the original pair he destroyed, he concentrated all his attention on the God-slayer standing before him, the one that presented herself as Luo Hao, given name Cuilian, and style name Hao.

It was only recently that he woke up from his self-inflicted artificial slumber, a decision made in order to restore all the energy spend during many battles. Only to find out that not few decades had passed but three _centuries_. During his sleep someone moved the island where he rested in orbit to prevent his companions from reviving him. He already suspected Susanoo, the Heretic God that flew into the Netherworld in the past, and his court to be the culprits. It was only thanks to the continuous efforts of Guinevere and Lancelot that he was released from it.

The world had progressed much since the last time he saw it, it was now at the same level of modernity of Fuyuki during the Holy Grail War. And it was populated by seven Devil Kings. _Seven_. It was a wonder the entire planet wasn't in a state of perpetual warfare.

And then one of them challenged him: crashing into the town where he was resting and starting a battle, heedless of the innocent citizens fleeing from the site. Truly, righteous God-slayers were as rare as a hen's teeth.

"I would like to reciprocate..." His eyes, full of disdain, surveyed what was once a prosperous city, now reduced to a dilapidated battlefield. "But I find hard to show respect to someone willing to sow so much destruction with such carelessness." He pointed Excalibur at her.

"How disrespectful of you. I am the Ruler of the Martial Realm, the conqueror that none may oppose. My will is the will of the heavens and the truth of the earth. However, in my view, humans are undeserving of mercy or benevolence. From the perspective of the earth and the sky, it is debatable whether human existence is good or bad..."

Without a ounce of hesitation she declared her outrageous worldview. _'It's official.'_ Arthur thought. _'All God-slayers are crazy.'_

"Ridiculous!" The King's entire being mercilessly rejected his opponent's convictions. "And you call yourself a Ruler? What proof you have of it?!"

"Obviously my authority and martial arts. Luo Cuilian can slaughter thousands of soldiers with a simple punch or kick, and slay tens of thousands with just a wave of a blade or a spear. Were I to display the true essence of martial arts, mighty armies of millions will be turned into mountains of corpses and rivers of blood. All lands will be wiped out, leaving nothing but mountains and rivers."

A methodology based purely on strength. The Once and Future King believed beyond doubt that the girl before him was completely serious. Taking absolute pride in one's own might, it didn't matter how much lives would be lost: all was a reasonable sacrifice if it means displaying her skills against a foe she deemed worthy.

Arthur relaxed his arm and let the tip of the blade graze the ground. "False."

"What?" For the first time Luo Hao looked confused.

"You are not a King." The blonde swordsman's face was calm, but his eyes burned with cold fury. Fury and absolute conviction. "Some would call you a Tyrant, but you aren't even that. You're just a delusional berserker who got away with too much."

Images of a red-haired giant and a golden-haired archer flashed in his mind. Yes, they did have their differences. But, Arthur realized, all three of them shared the same foundation.

"Let me ask you: what makes a King? Strength? Money? Influence? A great army?"

"Obviously it's strength!" Luo Hao released magical power and assumed a martial stance.

"Wrong." Arthur raised Exaclibur, otherworldly pure light irradiating from its pristine surface.

"Be it a King who sacrificed his humanity for his people, a Tyrant who chased an endless dream or a Monarch who believed himself greater than the Gods...their proof of kingship was the same."

Arthur looked the Chinese girl in the eyes. "It was their 'ideals'. For all three of them endlessly pursued something not of this world. And so in their search they transcend their limits and became 'legends'."

With a war's cry he changed at the girl. "Luo Hao, allow me to teach you about them!"

[*]

**Thinking like people with too much ego, like Luo Hao and even Gilgamesh, is hard. I prefer idiots like Doni. Does it mean I am a idiot too?**

**Hope you enjoy. Next is the chapter proper. Now then...**

**Would you _kindly_ review?**


	5. Chapter 3

Baginton was a village of medium size situated on the border between the regions of Warwickshire and West Midlands. With 15 households and only one mill it served mostly as a favoured resting point for merchants and simple travellers. The only noteworthy aspect was the nearby fort, which was used to breed and train horses for military use.

The stories told the day **he** appeared it was raining.

"Aaah!" The woman cried as she fell on the muddy ground, tears staining her face.

"Damn, woman!" The soldier who just kicked her reprimanded harshly. "Stop it already!"

"Mother!" The young boy cried. He was being restrained by two member of the military patrol and in the process of being dragged away. "Mother!"

"Easy here lass." The commander, who could be recognized by the insignia and the fact he had two servitors repairing him from the rain with a wooden board, elbowed the boy in the stomach with a bored expression. "Take it easy." At that point a crowd had formed at the two sides of the street, but nobody dared move or even make a sound.

"Please!" The woman crawled on all four toward the commander, but was stopped by two guards. "Please don't take away my son. I have only him left!"

"Please don't be unreasonable madam." The commander replied with the same bored expression on his face. "You know the law: every male who doesn't have a profession deemed important must join the army. I am only doing my job here. Don't worry: he'll make a fine soldier."

"No! No!" The woman wailed. "He will die! First his father and then his older brothers! Please!" She sobbed harder. "Spare him!"

The man sighed like a father who was dealing with his whimsical five years old son. "I can't do that." He signaled to the two guards holding the woman and began to walk away. "Take her back to her house and give her ten whippings as punishm-"

"If you value your lives, you will remove your hands from her." A stern and commanding voice cut through the air like a hot knife through butter, making everyone freeze and turn toward the source.

Nobody sensed him coming, and yet blocking the path of the patrol was a strong looking brown horse clad in blue and silver plate of exquisite making, enough to cover its vital parts but not heavy enough to slow it down. Sitting on the saddle and holding the reins the rider was likewise clad in armor bearing the same colors, a blue coat hanging from his waist. His face was covered by a hood, but by the scowl on his lips it was clear he was greatly displeased with something.

"W-Who are you?! What do you want?" The commander barked, his previous composure instantly gone. For some strange reason the newcomer's presence unnerved him on a fundamental level, like he was a tiny mice before a cat.

"Don't make me repeat myself. Release the woman and the boy." He commanded. Feeling a strange urge to obey the two soldiers who were holding the mother released her and stepped back. The ones restraining the boy did the same. Once free the young man rushed to the crying woman and embraced her: no one dared to stop him. The villagers looking at the scene could not believe their eyes: who was this stranger who had the courage to stand against the forces of Rome and command them so brazenly?

"What are you doing?!" The commander shouted at his men. "Tch! Arrest him!"

Despite feeling uneasy the well trained troops drew their weapons and surrounded the rider. Swords and lances were pointed high to block any attempt to escape. In response the armored man raised his arm and slightly clenched his hand, like he was grasping an invisible hilt.

"Get down and-!" Whatever the commander wanted to say was cut short as the knight's arm _moved_.

There was a hissing sound. A soldier suddenly noticed his sword got lighter. Looking down he found the reason: the upper half of the blade was missing, neatly cut away. In complete disbelieve he looked further down and found the missing part on the ground. Then, as if that was the key to break a spell...

Clunk. Clunk. Clunk clunk clunk clunk clunk clunk clunk. One by one all the upper half of the weapons the soldiers were holding fell off like pebbles from a cliff. Not only the sturdy but flexible wood of the lances' poles but also the tempered and mighty Noric steel the swords were made of: all of them were sliced. And nobody saw how it happened. It was impossible. So only one possible answer remained.

"AAAH! Sorcery!" The soldiers screamed and started fleeing in fright back to the fort. Even the two servants of the commander ditched him and fled.

"Wait! What are you doing?! Come back!" The man tried to run after them but tripped and fell on the muddy ground, staining his once pristine uniform. "H-Help! Help me!"

Clop clop. Clop clop. The sound of hooves drew near. Raising his head he found the horse and his majestic rider standing above him. From that angle he could finally see the man's eyes: they were a green so deep and dazzling it put even emeralds to shame.

Those eyes...were the eyes of something more than human.

"Tell me..." The knight asked with a tone that asked, nay _demanded_ a swift and truthful answer. "Where do your loyalty lie?"

"I-I am a proud of servant of Rome and his Excellency Municeps!" He stuttered.

The knight's face didn't show a single change. "His Excellency? You seem to regard Municeps in high regard."

"O-Of course!" His tone regained a bit of boldness. "His Majesty is the true King of this land, superior even to the Emperor! His strength is so great even the Gods are afraid of him!"

"I see." The rider nodded. Hope blossomed inside the commander. Maybe there was a misunderstanding. Maybe... "Using my sword is a honor you don't deserve." Eh? "Llamrei, please."

Before the soldier could understand what happened the horse raised a hoof and kicked him with such force that his body was blasted forward like a missile. It passed straight through an old house and disappeared in the distance. Not even a drop of blood was left behind as a testimony of his previous existence.

Shaking his head the knight dismounted the horse and slowly walked toward the mother and son pair. The young boy hugged the woman closer: he knew he was no match for the mysterious figure, so at the very least he will use his own body as a shield for his mother. The crowd of people took a step back, many looked away expecting an execution.

Instead the knight knelt before the two. "Are both of you alright?" He asked in a gentle tone completely different from the harsh one of before. Then he removed his hood, letting everyone finally see his appearance.

Golden hair. Jewel-like green eyes so deep and dazzling they put emeralds to shame. A beautiful face, full into adulthood and yet it still retained some traces of youthfulness. And an overwhelming aura that spoke of power and solemnity. For a moment the boy forgot everything: his hunger for not having eat a decent meal in days, his fear at the prospective of dying alone away from home and his concern for his poor mother, because for an instant the blond knight became all his world. They both nodded numbly.

"Good." He smiled, and it was like the rain stopped and the sun shined again. He stood up and walked toward his horse. "Don't worry, I will make so you will never be bothered again."

The boy could resist anymore. "A-Are you a God?" He asked to his savior.

The knight stopped next to his ride. "No." With a smooth movement he climbed on the saddle. His eyes bored into the boy's own. "But..." He smiled again. "You can consider me this land guardian spirit. I have come to bring Justice and Peace. So, rest at ease."

After saying that he flicked the reins and started a light gallop in the direction the soldiers ran towards.

Inside the fort it was utter chaos: after the patrol sent to 'recruit' the peasants returned in a panic and without their commander, rumors of an invincible magic-wielding knight who defeated twenty men with one strike spread like fire, seriously destabilizing the soldiers' discipline. The absence of the fort's commander didn't help at all. So the vice-commander was forced to work hard to bring order back.

"You lot! Take your posts!" He barked. "Stop chickening out like a bunch of women! I want a team of our best men: they need to search for the commander and bring him back. Alive. And..!"

"He's here!" The sentinels on the towers shouted. "The enemy knight is here!"

The vice-commander stopped and grinned. "Temerarious bastard. What does he think of doing? Don't have fear!" He bellowed to the assembled soldiers. "He is alone while we are many and inside the fort. What can he do?"

In that moment the wind carried the sound of two words uttered from the other side of the gate.

"[Strike Air]."

[*]

Arthur analyzed his handiwork as he proceeded inside the now ruined fort. _'Not only my body, but my Noble Phantasms too are more powerful.'_ He thought as his glance fell on the pulverized gate, the destroyed wall and the tends of the soldiers reduced to mere scraps of cloth floating in the air. _'I need to be more careful in the future.'_

Dismounting from Llamrei he walked amidst the unconscious soldiers and stopped when he found the one with the highest grades. He prodded him with his armored foot. "Get up." He commanded.

"Urgh..." The vice-commander felt as if all his bones were broken. "I-I can't. I..."

Arthur grabbed his shoulder and roughly pulled him up. "Are you the highest commanding officer here?" The man could do nothing but stiffly nod. "Good. I have a mission for you. You will take a horse and go to Camulodunum, to bring a message to Gracianus Municeps." The vice-commander gasped.

The blond king's eyes narrowed. "Tell him that I'm coming from him, to make him pay for his crimes. Tell him that he has only two choices: to repent,-" His voice hardened. "-or to _die_."

"N-No I cannot.."

"You can. You will." Arthur said with finality. Holding the man like he weights nothing he dragged him to the stalls and put him atop an already saddled horse. "Go."

"..If he asks who sent me, what do I answer?" The vice-commander asked with a resigned tone.

"Tell him my name is Artus."

The soldier stiffly nodded and forced his aching body to move. Ten minutes later he was far away from the city, galloping toward the city of Camulodunum.

A city that in the future will be called Colchester.

[*]

Five days later Arthur and Llamrei found themselves passing through a great plain in the middle of nowhere. After sending the messenger he helped establishing order back to Baginton, setting new, more just rules and appointing a new commander for the fort, one that cared for the people.

The only sour point was that the villagers were dead set into worshipping him as some kind of Savior God who came to save Britain. While the last part was true, he still wasn't comfortable with the sort of attention he got. As a king back in Camelot he received plenty of it, but the villagers' one was just two steps short of fanatical: they even offered him their daughters as sacrifices! Or brides. He couldn't really tell. Of course he refused: in the end he convinced then to refer to him just as a [Hero].

_'I wonder if this how my knights felt.'_ Arthur was reminded about his loyal vassals and how many of them had the habit of roaming the land in search of good deeds to achieve. _'Well, maybe not the Godhood part...Uhm?'_

His musings were cut short as his instincts warned him of approaching danger. He patted the mare's neck to make her stop and waited.

One minutes later a nightmarish army appeared from the other end of the road. Packs of huge wolves bigger than horses advanced slowly, their red eyes full of nothing but bloodlust. At every step the ground around them froze, covering everything with a layer of ice. Following them, marching in a mocking caricature of a real army, were troops upon troops of walking skeletons clad in various kinds of armor, both roman and barbaric. No trace of flesh could be seen on their bodies and yet they held themselves together and marched forward with the same casualness of flesh and blood humans. From their bones oozed a black mist that made the grass rot, slowly transforming the lush landscape into a barren wasteland.

And at the head, sitting upon a skeletal horse, was a dark knight: clad from head to toe with heavy black armor and wolf's fur, he was a man in his early thirty with black hair and grey eyes. His face, while handsome, held a wild edge to it that inspire more fear than admiration.

The instant Arthur's eyes landed on that man, his entire being was filled with energy and a great sense of animosity toward him. From the back of his mind a voice was telling him to cut down the newcomer with extreme prejudice.

"Kukuku! Greetings, oh adversary of mine!" The dark knight chuckled. "When your messenger arrived two days ago I could scarcely believe my ears: someone dared to oppose me? But then my mages told me they sensed a Heretic God approaching and I understood! Kukuku!"

"You are Gracianus Municeps then?" Arthur asked as a formality, for he had no doubts about the man's true identity.

"Indeed! And you are Artus, correct? Not a name I recognize. Probably an unknown God worshipped by barbarians from the East. Kukuku, it doesn't matter. After all..." He smiled, a horrid sight that resembled a wild animal peeling back his lips to growl. "Prey is prey."

Arthur's eyes narrowed, his face setting into an expression of pure distaste. "Your answer." He demanded.

"What?"

"In my message I told you to repent for your crimes or to die. Your answer God-slayer." Despite them being of the same height it was like Arthur was looking down at Gracianus. "If you admit to regret your wrongdoings I'm ready to forgive you and offer you a second chance."

"Kukuku! What are you saying?" A wild glint entered the roman general's eyes as he guffawed like a madman. "I'm a Devil King and you're a God! We are mortal foes! Our destiny is to fight each other to the death! There cannot be any other outcome!"

"I see. So this is your answer." With a graceful jump Arthur dismounted Llamrei. He patted her flank. "Wait for me." Then he started to slowly walk toward his opponent, right hand already clenched around the hilt of invisible Excalibur.

The wolves and the skeletons began to encircle him, moving as if they were one mind and one body. "Yes! Yes! Fight, struggle, and then die by my hands! Hunting is the greatest game!" Municeps bellowed.

Arthur took a step forward.

Then another.

The next step Arthur broke _thrice_ the sound's barrier. He swung his sword down, air burning from the friction, aiming the tip between the eyes of a wolf whose brain had yet to register what was happening in front of him. The next instant the area in front of the Once and Future King exploded in a flash of light so bright it hurt the eyes, instantly annihilating fifty of the infernal troops in front of him. Another two swings and the ones at his sides suffered the same fate.

Arthur raised his head and looked the shocked Gracianus in the eyes. "It's a pity then, because this is not a game." His voice didn't contain a ounce of mercy.

"This is your _execution_."

[*]

**And, stop. The second part is in the next chapter. I will try to make it epic, but considering how much I planned for this story...I will burn that bridge when I reach it.**

**To answer your questions:**

**altenativefuturefan27: Campione Kirei? Now that's scary: I don't think even Godou is prepared for the kind of psychological warfare Kotomine is capable of.**

**Arturia(Saber FSN) will not appear in this fic, except as an omake.**

**trung-t-rung: I will make omake about all Campione, but I will post them every now and then.**

**Guest: opinions are opinions. If it can help what I wrote was the interpretation of Arthur, after he spent centuries battling evil Campione. He is a bit biased, so he interpreted Luo Hao's words in the worst meaning.**

**blarg7865: for that I would need Marcus Galen Sands permission to use his character. I'm planning to resume it in October or November.**

**Guest: no, it's not official to the storyline. Just a possible way the meetings between Arthur and Canon Campione could go.**

**Feng Lengshun: I know about gappies. That's an interesting comparison you made (even if I'm sure Godou and Alex would strongly disagree and insist they're not like the others. Yeah right). I blame the author for showing many things as nice even when they're not.**

**Funny you mention that: do you know that Proto Arthur shared some traits with Fate Archer? I quote: "However, for a brief period his style of speech was mingled with nihilistic mannerisms. Not only that, but he had his bouts of hypocritical courtesy as he would at times tease or make fun of Ayaka. In Fate/stay night Archer would inherit these traits. In fact, the nature of Saber and Ayaka's relationship, at least in the beginning, was similar to that of Rin Tohsaka and Archer."  
**

**Now then...**

**Would you **_**graciously**_** review?**


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